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Fear will run and ruin your life if you let it. The trick is to see fear as a speed bump, not a dead-end street. This episode is only five minutes long, but it can stay with you for a lifetime. The Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast is commercial-free without ads or sponsorships thanks to listeners like you who donate as little as $1 a month through patreon.com/buddhistbootcamp Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

What does "Normal" even mean? To what lengths are we willing go to fit in? From a very young age, I was told something was wrong with me simply because I was different. Would you pretend to be someone you're not in order to be liked and admired, celebrated or accepted? Would you commit a crime? Do drugs? Work 80 hours a week? Wear certain clothes to fit-in? Have kids? Sign a 30-year loan? Would you do what feels unnatural to you simply because it's expected of you? To what end? As Ani DiFranco said, "I was four years old when they showed me a picture of three oranges and a pear. They asked me which one was different and does not belong? They taught me that different was wrong." This short podcast episode is a glimpse into my own journey to where I am today.

Have you ever wondered why you have the urge to share your opinion with people without being asked? Even some of the information we THINK is helpful, caring, and kind, is actually demoralizing, hostile, and reeks of a superiority complex lurking behind our urge to share. All too often, we have ulterior motives when we dump our opinions on others unsolicited.

All sorts of random thoughts show up during the day and even while meditating, so we need a bouncer to decide which thoughts get to enter our minds, which have to stand outside, and which are banned for life. To listen with captions, visit: https://youtu.be/XnUAJB3Y0Xk

We think happiness will result from accumulating one instant gratification after another, but each gratifying moment is so brief, we spend more time chasing happiness than being happy. Practice not giving the mind everything it wants. 

Inside of you there is a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time. If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp • You can schedule a one-on-one session at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/meet — Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

Effort is a direct reflection of our dedication and commitment. If you find value in these videos, please show your support at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp • You can schedule a one-on-one session at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/meet

This is the recording of Timber's talk at a local church this morning, all about Gary Chapman's Five Love Languages, Clay Davidson's Unconditional Love, and an uncomfortable look in the mirror to see where we still hold judgment about how others do things, how we fail to love people the way they want to be loved (insisting instead on loving them the way we want), and how loving God fits into all this (since this was at a New Thought fellowship, after all, and Timber is all about incorporating anything we can learn from ancient teachings to modern psychology. There's value in it all). Enjoy. If you find value in these Podcast episodes, show your support at https://buddhistbootcamp.com/support

Have so many feelings and don’t know what to do with them? I’ve been taught to avoid identifying with them or even claim them as my own, just observe the feelings with curiosity from a place of serenity, because it’s the only place from which we can see things clearly. If you find value in these podcast episodes, please show your support through Venmo @TimberHawkeye or at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/support or with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp • You can schedule a one-on-one session at https://www.buddhistbootcamp.com/meet — Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

Do your decisions reflect that you care about your well-being or that you don't? Why are we so dismissive of our own divinity and worth? If you find value in these podcast episodes, please show your support with as little as $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp or make one-off contributions on Venmo @TimberHawkeye or through Jemi, where you can also schedule a private one-on-one Zoom to discuss the topic of your choice: https://jemi.app/buddhistbootcamp — Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

Make anything that distracts you from your chosen path unappealing by adjusting your focus.

Why meditate? What's the point? Directing our attention where we choose is how we learn to no longer get distracted by outside circumstances. That's enough incentive for me to make Sit Happen, because if you are easily provoked, you are easy to control. Determination and restraint can be your superpower.

If we have our claws so deeply embedded in the way we were, we get in the way of who we might become. Loosen your grip and rigidity to become more fluid. As Bruce Lee said, "Be Water, My Friend."

Visibility leads to acceptance. Exposure to diversity opens our eyes first, our minds second, and our hearts third. When we understand and connect with one another, empathy and compassion become the inevitable end results. Let's talk about the problem with the Golden Rule and the importance of balancing introspection with outrospection.  If you find value in these podcast episodes, please show your support with just $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp or make a one-time contribution through https://jemi.app/buddhistbootcamp - Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

Why do we acknowledge that a single individual can make a big difference in our lives (or in the world), but we rarely credit ourselves for the ability to do the same?

Everybody is privileged in at least one way or another, and that's not a bad thing. What is privilege? What is it not? And what can we do with it? 

Lao Tzu said, "Care what other people think, and you will always be their prisoner." Liberate yourself by getting to know who you are according to you, not anybody else.  If you find value in these podcast episodes, please show your support with just $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp or make a one-time contribution through https://jemi.app/buddhistbootcamp - Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

Do we now live in a world where we have to find non-physical ways to show affection? Let's talk about deeper methods of intimacy like vulnerability and transparency, and use tools like empathy and compassion to connect with one another when a hug isn't an option (and even when it is). 

Why do we so easily accept bad news but are reluctant to embrace good news? Maybe enlightenment is not about finding some truth that sets us free, perhaps it’s about recognizing which lies hold us hostage? If you find value in these podcast episodes, please show your support with just $1/month through https://Patreon.com/BuddhistBootCamp - Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love.

What if instead of expressing our feelings we explained which of our needs are not being met? This practice requires awareness and vulnerability, but it could put an end to the shame and blame games we play in our relationships. Growth isn't easy, but every step forward brings us more clarity, understanding, and connection. So don't proceed with caution, proceed with curiosity. Good luck!